Methods for conducting and playing lottery games

ABSTRACT

A method of conducting and playing a lottery game includes providing a chance to win including consecutively drawn player characters selected from a first pool of characters and a trigger player character selected from a second pool of characters, providing a result including consecutively drawn result characters selected from the first pool of characters and a trigger result character selected from the second pool of characters, and comparing the chance to win to the result. When the trigger player character matches the trigger result character, a basic prize is won when all or a plurality of the player characters matches all or a plurality of the result characters, and a second more valuable prize is won when the same conditions apply in addition to when the position of at least one of the player characters matches the position of at least one of the result characters.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to lotteries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lottery is a procedure for distributing something (usually money orprizes) among a group of people by lot or chance. The type of lotteryconsidered here is a form of gambling in which a usually large number ofpeople purchase chances called lottery tickets, in which the winningtickets are drawn from a pool composed of all tickets sold or offeredfor sale. The value of the prizes is the amount remaining afterexpenses, which include the profits for the promoter, the costs ofpromotion, the portion allocated to designated state purposes, and thetaxes and other charges. In most large-scale lotteries, a very largeprize is offered along with many smaller ones. Lotteries have wideappeal as a means for raising money; they are simple to organize, easyto plan, and, in general, popular but controversial.

The practice of determining the distribution of property by lot istraceable to ancient times. Among dozens of Biblical examples, the OldTestament (Numbers 26:55-56) has the Lord instructing Moses to take acensus of the people of Israel and to divide the land among them by lot.The Roman emperors Nero and Augustus used lotteries to give awayproperty and slaves during Saturnalian feasts and other entertainments.Modern lotteries of a similar type include those used for militaryconscription, commercial promotions in which property is given away by arandom procedure, and the selection of jury members from lists ofregistered voters. Under the strict definition of a gambling type oflottery, however, payment of a consideration (property, work, or money)must be made for a chance of receiving the prize.

The basic elements of modern lotteries are simple. First, there must besome means of recording the identities of the bettors, the amountsstaked by each, and the number or other symbol on which the money isbet. The bettor may write his name on a ticket that is deposited withthe lottery organization for subsequent shuffling and possible selectionin the drawing. Or the bettor may buy a numbered receipt, in theknowledge that this number will be entered into a pool of numbers, thebettor having the responsibility of determining later if his ticket wasamong the winners. Another procedure requires only that the bettorinform a representative of the lottery which number he guesses will bedrawn, and the representative is trusted to appear later with the prize,if any is won. This is the usual procedure in the illegal numbers game,which has been popular for several decades in many cities throughout theUnited States.

A second element of all lotteries is the drawing. The drawing, aprocedure for determining winning numbers, may take the form of a poolor collection of tickets or their counterfoils from which the winnersare extracted. The tickets must first be thoroughly mixed by somemechanical means, such as shaking or tossing; this is a randomizingprocedure designed to insure chance and only chance determines theselection of winners. Computers have increasingly come into use for thispurpose because of their capacity for storing information about largenumbers of tickets and for generating random numbers for identifying thewinners. Promoters of public, especially of large-scale, lotteries mayexploit the opportunity to make the drawing and/or mixing process ascolorful and dramatic as possible.

The third element common to all lotteries is the existence of amechanism for collecting and pooling all the money placed as stakes.This is usually accomplished by a hierarchy of sales agents who passmoney paid for the tickets up through the organization until it is“banked.” A practice common in many national lotteries is to dividetickets into fractions, usually tenths. Each fraction when soldseparately costs slightly more than its share of the total cost of anentire ticket. Many people then buy whole tickets, in effect at apremium or discounted price, for marketing in the streets wherecustomers can place relatively small stakes on the fractions. In alarge-scale lottery, the use of the regular mail system is desirable forcommunicating information and transporting tickets and stakes. In theUnited States and some other countries, however, postal rules prohibituse of the mails. Postal prohibitions apply also to internationalmailings of lotteries. Though post-office authorities are diligent,smuggling and other violations of interstate and internationalregulations occur.

A fourth requirement is a set of rules determining the frequencies andsizes of the prizes. Costs of organizing and promoting the lotteriesmust be deducted from the pool, and a percentage normally goes asrevenues and profits to the state or sponsor. Of the remainder availablefor the winners, a decision must be made on whether to pay few largeprizes or many smaller ones. Potential bettors seem to be attracted tolotteries that offer very large prizes, whereas other bettors prefer achance to win smaller prizes. Authorities on lotteries disagree aboutwhich of these choices is better for the welfare of the people and theeconomic success of the lottery. The amount of the pool returned to thebettors tends to be between 50 percent and 60 percent.

A modern form of lottery ticket sales is the on-line sale, in whichtickets are printed by a terminal/printer in a merchant's store. In anonline sale where the player chooses numbers, the input/terminal/printeris connected to a secure central computer or lottery game computersystem operated by the state lottery commission, and it is that centralcomputer system that recognizes and accepts the players' choices ofnumbers and sends signals to the remote terminal/printer to print theticket with selected numbers and records the transaction in a securecentral database or databank. In a “quick-pick” type of transaction,which is ubiquitous in modern numbers lotteries, the central computerprovides the numbers and sends a signal to the remote terminal/printerto print the ticket with those numbers and then records that transactionin the secure central databank.

In multi-state games such as Powerball®, the procedure is basically thesame, with each participating state being responsible for verificationand winner files, and then reporting to the central coordinating group.In on-line lottery games, a matrix is established that governs thewinning combinations and the prize structure. All on-line tickets bearspecial secure coding to help minimize fraud. On-line lottery ticketshave become less popular than instant lottery tickets, due mostly to thefact that instant tickets are much more likely to be purchased onimpulse than on-line tickets.

In instant lottery sales, participating merchants receive a number ofpre-printed tickets, which are furnished with secure coding minimizingfraud. Like on-line sales, the prizes printed on such tickets are alsodetermined by a matrix that governs winning combinations and the prizestructure, based on the prize pay-outs desired, the number of retailersparticipating, and the populations they serve. To see the numbers orprizes printed on the tickets and determine if they hold a winningticket, players scratch off the coating that obscures the printing.Although winning combinations have been printed on some of those instanttickets, no one knows where they are in the package, or even which storereceived packages containing big winner tickets.

There are also other variations of instant games including punch-board,pull-tab and break-opens. Unlike on-line tickets and scratch-off instanttickets, these variations come in pre-set, pre-determined packages wherethe matrix has already been built in according to some pre-determinedformula suitable for smaller establishments. Unlike scratch-off games,these games have an advantage in that it is a simple matter to add anadditional retailer because the addition of that retailer will notaffect the matrix because it has been pre-determined, based on thenumber of tickets comprising the package.

In both online and instant ticket lotteries, prizes that remainunclaimed after some statutorily prescribed period that varies fromstate to state, ranging up to one year, become void as winning tickets.After the winning tickets become void, any prize money can revert to thestate, or be added to future prize pools.

Among the family of modern lottery games are the “passive” or “passivedraw” game, the “instant” game, the “pick” game, and the “lotto” game.The “passive draw” game includes a purchase of a pre-numbered ticket.Passive draw tickets are generally sold in ascending numerical order andafter a certain period of time a winning number is selected and a prizeis awarded to the holder of the ticket bearing the winning number.Another version of a passive game is to add various ways to win. Take anExample in which the number selected in a passive drawing is 978571.Holders of tickets matching the first two digits of 97 win prizes,tickets matching the first three digits 978 win prizes, and so forth.

In an “instant” game, a player purchases a preprinted ticket withrevealable numbers, symbols, or other game characters. Instant games areusually based on a theme such as card games, lucky numbers, familiarcharacters, etc. Tickets containing three like symbols win a prize, inwhich the prize level is preset. If a player's card is a winning card,then the player can immediately (instantly) cash the ticket and receivea prize. There is no traditional drawing to determine a winner in aninstant game, and there are literally hundreds of variations of instantgames.

In an example of a “pick” game, a player selects a three-digit numberfrom 000-999. A random number from 000-999 is drawn. If the drawn numbermatches the number selected by a player, then the player wins a prize.This type of pick game is a “straight bet” game. Another example of apick game involves a player who selects to play just the first twodigits or the last two digits of, for instance, a three-digit number. Inthis case, the prize that may be won is lower but the player only has tomatch the two digits, in exact order, instead of all three digits. Theseare called “front and back pair” bets. Yet another variation is called a“box” bet, in which a player selects, for instance, a three-digit numberbut is playing every order of the three digits. For instance, if aplayer plays the number 123 boxed, then the player really has purchased6 bets, one each on 123 132, 231, 213, 312, and 321. If any one of thesenumbers is drawn, the player wins.

A “lotto” game is often referred to as a matrix game, in which a playerselects X numbers from a pool of Z numbers. The lottery draws Y numbersfrom the pool of Z numbers. Players win a prize if enough of theirselections match the selections drawn by the lottery. As an example, ifthe lotto game were a 6-6-36, then the player would select 6 numbersfrom a pool of 36 and the lottery would draw 6 numbers from the pool of36 numbers. Players would win if their selections match 3, 4, 5, or 6 ofthe lottery selections. In this type of game, numbers cannot beduplicated. In other words, every number in a lotto style game isunique, and the order is not relevant in a lotto game.

Many lotteries in the United States and other countries offer gameswhere play is based on the Lottery drawing a three-digit number from000-999. Drawings may be performed daily, multiple times daily, orseveral times per week or per month. The Lottery's selection of thethree-digit winning number may be from groups of balls or from a randomnumber generator or other selection method. These types of games arecommonly referred to as “pick 3” games.

In an example of a pick 3 game, a player selects a three-digit numberfrom 000-999. A random number from 000-999 is drawn. If the drawn numbermatches the number selected by the player, then the player wins a prize.This type of pick 3 game is a “straight bet” game. Another example of a“pick” game involves a player who selects to play just the first twodigits or the last two digits of, for instance, a three-digit number. Inthis case, the prize that may be won is lower but the player only needmatch the two digits, in exact order, instead of all three digits. Theseare called “front and back pair” bets. Yet another variation is called a“box” bet, in which a player selects, for instance, a three-digit numberbut is playing every order of the three digits. For instance, if aplayer plays the number 123 boxed, then the player really has purchasedsix bets, one each on 123, 132, 231, 213, 312, and 321. If any one ofthese numbers is drawn, the player wins.

Many Lotteries in the United States and other countries offer gameswhere play is based on the Lottery drawing a four-digit number from0000-9999. Drawings may be performed daily, multiple times daily, orseveral times per week or per month. Selection of the four-digit numbermay be from groups of balls or from a random number generator or otherselection method. Similar games may be offered with additional digits,such as five digits, six digits, etc., with similar methods of play.

In all the methods of play above for the three-digit and four-digitgames, the player is restricted to matching all the digits selected bythe lottery regardless of exact or any order. If all of the digitsplayed are not matched, the player does not win. Under the currentstraight and boxed methods of play, players often match two of the threenumbers but not the third and do not win even a secondary prize forcoming close. Under the front pair and back pair methods of play,players must match both numbers to win.

Another type of lottery game is the “double-matrix” game in which aplayer selects X numbers from a first pool of numbers and then selects asingle number from a second pool of numbers. The lottery then draws orgenerates X numbers from the first pool of numbers and a single numberfrom the second pool of numbers. Players win by matching some or all oftheir X numbers drawn from the first pool and the single number drawnfrom the second pool with some or all of the X numbers generated by thelottery and the single number generated by the lottery, respectively.Typically, lesser prizes are assigned to wins that have a fewer numberof matches between the player's numbers and the lottery's numbers orthat do not match the number drawn from the second pool, and greaterprizes are assigned to wins that have more matches between the player'snumbers and the lottery's numbers.

Although the art is replete with various systems and methods forconducting and playing lotteries, needed is yet another that is simpleto conduct, uncomplicated, and that provides players with many ways towin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the principle of the invention, a method of conducting andplaying a lottery game includes providing a chance to win includingconsecutively drawn player characters selected from a first pool ofcharacters, and a trigger player character selected from a second poolof characters, providing a result including consecutively drawn resultcharacters selected from the first pool of characters, and a triggerresult character selected from the second pool of characters, andcomparing the result to the chance to win. When all or a plurality ofthe plurality of player characters matches all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, respectively, and the trigger chancecharacter matches the trigger result character, in one embodiment themethod includes assigning a basic win having a basic value to the chanceto win when the position of none of the plurality player charactersmatches the position of none of the result characters, assigning apremium win having a premium value to the chance to when the position ofone of the plurality of the player characters matches the position ofone of the plurality of the result characters, wherein the premium valueis greater than the basic value, assigning a basic prize having thebasic value to the chance to win, when the basic win is assigned to thechance to win, and assigning a premium prize having the premium value tothe chance to win, when the premium win is assigned to the chance towin. When all or a plurality of the plurality of player charactersmatches all or a plurality of the plurality of result characters,respectively, and the trigger chance character matches the triggerresult character, in another embodiment the method includes assigning abasic win having a basic value to the chance to win when the position ofnone of the plurality player characters matches the position of none ofthe result characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value tothe chance to when the positions of all or a plurality of the pluralityof player characters matches the positions of all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, wherein the premium value is greaterthan the basic value, assigning a basic prize having the basic value tothe chance to win, when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win,and assigning a premium prize having the premium value to the chance towin, when the premium win is assigned to the chance to win. In anexemplary embodiment, the consecutively drawn player characters includeat least four consecutively drawn player characters, the consecutivelydrawn result characters include at least four consecutively drawn resultnumbers, the first pool of characters is greater than the second pool ofcharacters, and the chance to win is issued to a player with a lotteryticket dispensing system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1-7 illustrates double-matrix lottery tickets of lottery drawingsaccording to various embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the principle of the invention, methods of conducting andplaying a lottery game, a new and improved form of a “double-matrix”lottery game according to the invention, is disclosed. In an exemplaryembodiment, a method of conducting and playing a lottery game includesproviding a chance to win including consecutively drawn playercharacters selected from a first pool of characters, and a triggerplayer character selected from a second pool of characters, providing aresult including consecutively drawn result characters selected from thefirst pool of characters, and a trigger result character selected fromthe second pool of characters, and comparing the result to the chance towin. When all or a plurality of the plurality of player charactersmatches all or a plurality of the plurality of result characters,respectively, and the trigger chance character matches the triggerresult character, in one embodiment the method includes assigning abasic win having a basic value to the chance to win when the position ofnone of the plurality player characters matches the position of none ofthe result characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value tothe chance to when the position of one of the plurality of the playercharacters matches the position of one of the plurality of the resultcharacters, wherein the premium value is greater than the basic value,assigning a basic prize having the basic value to the chance to win,when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win, and assigning apremium prize having the premium value to the chance to win, when thepremium win is assigned to the chance to win. When all or a plurality ofthe plurality of player characters matches all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, respectively, and the trigger chancecharacter matches the trigger result character, in another embodimentthe method includes assigning a basic win having a basic value to thechance to win when the position of none of the plurality playercharacters matches the position of none of the result characters,assigning a premium win having a premium value to the chance to when thepositions of all or a plurality of the plurality of player charactersmatches the positions of all or a plurality of the plurality of resultcharacters, wherein the premium value is greater than the basic value,assigning a basic prize having the basic value to the chance to win,when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win, and assigning apremium prize having the premium value to the chance to win, when thepremium win is assigned to the chance to win. In an exemplaryembodiment, the consecutively drawn player characters include at leastfour consecutively drawn player characters, the consecutively drawnresult characters include at least four consecutively drawn resultnumbers, the first pool of characters is greater than the second pool ofcharacters, and the chance to win is issued to a player with a lotteryticket dispensing system, such as one of a standard lottery gamecomputer system, a standard networked computer environment, such as alocal area network or a global computer network, or a standard gamingunit. The lottery ticket dispensing system from which the chance to winis issued is preferably pre-programmed before a drawing with the firstpool of characters, and the second pool of characters.

An exemplary embodiment includes issuing the chance to win to theplayer, the chance to win including consecutively drawn playercharacters selected from a first pool of characters, and a triggerplayer character selected from a second pool of characters. Theconsecutively drawn player characters are an ordered sequence of playercharacters. The characters of the first pool of characters are greaterin number than the characters of the second pool of characters. Each oneof the player characters has a position. The first pool of characters isgreater than the second pool of characters. In an exemplary embodiment,the first pool of characters is from 20-40 characters, and the secondpool of characters is from 5-10 characters. Preferably, the first poolof characters includes twenty-nine characters, and the second pool ofcharacters includes five characters. As way of drawing player charactersin a chance to win, a player can be issued player characters selectedfrom a random draw of player characters, if desired, from the first poolof characters, or the player can select the player characters. Theplayer characters, as with the result characters, can be one or more ofthe following including letters, numbers, objects, symbols, colors,pictures, etc., and are preferably numbers in an illustrativeembodiment.

The chance to win, the player characters, is preferably presented on alottery ticket that is issued to the player in any manner where chancesto win are issued to players in a lottery where there is drawing fordetermining a winner or winners. For instance, in one embodiment thechance to win is issued to the player over a networked computerenvironment, such as a local area network, a global computer network,etc. In another embodiment, the chance to win is issued to the playerwith a conventional lottery ticket dispensing system, such as from astandard lottery game computer system. In yet a further embodiment, thechance to win is issued to a player over a conventional gaming unit orindividual gaming unit, which also pays prizes to winning chances. Anexample of a gaming unit or individual gaming unit is machine such as aslot machine or a video lottery terminal, in which the drawing for theresult consists of the player activating the machine in a game of playto cause the machine to produce the result, or cause the machine toprovide or receive a result from a centralized or remote gaming controlsystem. In a machine scenario, prizes are paid out to winning chances inaccordance with normal machine practice. The chance to win from a gamingunit, such as a slot machine or a video lottery terminal, can be issuedby the gaming unit, or from another source, or input into the gamingunit, whether by a player or by some other person. Other forms of gamingunits can be adapted and arranged to carry out the invention inaccordance with the teachings thereof, if desired. The player can berequired to make a purchase of a consumer item and/or purchase a lotteryticket to enter into the lottery game of the invention, although thechance to win can be issued to the player without the need for theplayer to purchase them or to make a purchase of a consumer item.Typically, a lottery ticket incorporating the chance to win under theinvention is purchased by the player. Each of the above examples isexemplary of a lottery ticket dispensing system.

After the chance to win is provided, is issued to the player, a randomdrawing is conducted, such as in a straight drawing procedure or otherform of random drawing procedure, in which there is a step of receivingfrom the drawing a result including consecutively drawn resultcharacters selected from the first pool of characters, and a triggerresult character selected from the second pool of characters. Theconsecutively drawn result characters are an ordered sequence of resultcharacters. The result characters are equal in number to the playercharacters, each one of the result characters has a position, and thepositions of the result characters correspond to the positions of theplayer characters. As a matter of example, the consecutively drawnplayer characters of the chance to win includes at least fourconsecutively drawn player characters, and the consecutively drawnresult characters also include at least four consecutively drawn resultcharacters. Although four result characters and four player charactersare disclosed in a preferred embodiment, less or more can be used,whether three, five, six, seven, etc. As the result is provided, themethod next includes comparing the result to the chance to win. In aparticular embodiment, when all or a plurality of the plurality ofplayer characters matches all or a plurality of the plurality of resultcharacters, respectively, and the trigger chance character matches thetrigger result character the method includes assigning a basic winhaving a basic value to the chance to win when the position of none ofthe plurality player characters matches the position of none of theresult characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value to thechance to when the position of at least one of the plurality of theplayer characters matches the position of one of the plurality of theresult characters, wherein the premium value is greater than the basicvalue, assigning a basic prize having the basic value to the chance towin, when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win, and assigninga premium prize having the premium value to the chance to win, when thepremium win is assigned to the chance to win. In another embodiment,when all or a plurality of the plurality of player characters matchesall or a plurality of the plurality of result characters, respectively,and the trigger chance character matches the trigger result characterthe method includes assigning a basic win having a basic value to thechance to win when the position of none of the plurality playercharacters matches the position of none of the result characters,assigning a premium win having a premium value to the chance to when theposition of all or a plurality of the plurality of player charactersmatches the position of all or a plurality of the plurality of resultcharacters, wherein the premium value is greater than the basic value,assigning a basic prize having the basic value to the chance to win,when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win, and assigning apremium prize having the premium value to the chance to win, when thepremium win is assigned to the chance to win.

In each of the sequences of player and result characters, theconsecutively drawn player characters and the consecutively drawn resultcharacters, each character is a term, and each term has a position, andthe positions are consecutive, i.e. first, second, third, etc.Furthermore, in playing the lottery game there can be “basic” winchances to win and “premium” win chances to win. Accordingly, in the“double-matrix” lottery game disclosed herein there is a “basic” winningparadigm for “basic” winning chances to win, and a “premium” winningparadigm for “premium” winning chances to win. This is discussed morefully below. Although in the various embodiments of the invention theresult is drawn after issuance of the chance to win, the result can bedrawn before issuance of the chance to win. According to the invention,the result can be provided before the chance to win is provided or afterthe chance to win is provided without departing from the invention.

According to the principle of the invention, examples of chances to winand results obtained from drawing in a double-matrix lottery gameaccording to this disclosure are set forth below in Examples A-G. Inthese examples, the player characters, the result characters, and thetrigger characters are numbers/numerals.

Example A Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 12 02 13 08 05

In Example A, there is a chance to win including an ordered sequence offour player numbers from the first pool of numbers, and one triggernumber, a chance trigger number, from the second pool of numbers, andthere is a result including an ordered sequence of result numbers fromthe first pool of numbers, and one trigger number, a result triggernumber, from the second pool of numbers. The result numbers are equal innumber to the player numbers, there being four result numbers and fourplayer numbers. Each one of the player numbers of the ordered sequenceof player numbers has a position, the first player number of the orderedsequence being Position 1, the second player number of the orderedsequence being Position 2, the third player number of the orderedsequence being Position 3, and the fourth player number of the orderedsequence being Position 4. Each one of the result numbers of the orderedsequence of result numbers has a position, the first result number ofthe ordered sequence being Position 1, the second result number of theordered sequence being Position 2, the third result number of theordered sequence being Position 3, and the fourth result number of theordered sequence being Position 4. Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of theresult numbers correspond to the respective Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 ofthe player numbers. Accordingly, Positions 1, 2, 3, 4 of the resultnumbers correspond positionally, the term “positionally” in the“double-matrix” lottery game meaning by position, with the respectivePositions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the player numbers. The player numbersinclude first player number 2 at Position 1, second player number 9 atPosition 2, third player number 6 at Position 3, and fourth playernumber 13 at Position 4, and the chance trigger number is 5. The resultnumbers include first result number 12 at Position 1, second resultnumber 2 at Position 2, third result number 13 at Position 3, and fourthresult number 8 at Position 4, and the result trigger number is 5.

In Example A, player number 2 at Position 1 matches result number 2 atPosition 2, player number 13 at Position 4 matches result number 13 atPosition 3, the remaining player numbers match none of the remainingresult numbers, and chance trigger number 5 matches result triggernumber 5. Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the result triggernumber 5, a plurality of the player numbers, player numbers 2 and 13,match a corresponding plurality of result numbers, result numbers 2 and13, without position matching, in which two of the four player numbersmatch two of the four result numbers, and Positions 1 and 4 of playernumbers 2 and 13 do not match Positions 2 and 3 of the matching resultnumbers 2 and 13, the chance to win in Example A is a basic winningchance to win, a basic winner, having a value, a basic value, in whichthe method further includes assigning a prize having the basic value tothe chance to win.

Example B Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 09 02 13 08 05

In Example B, there is a chance to win including an ordered sequence offour player numbers from the first pool of numbers, and one triggernumber, a chance trigger number, from the second pool of numbers, andthere is a result including an ordered sequence of result numbers fromthe first pool of numbers, and one trigger number, a result triggernumber, from the second pool of numbers. The result numbers are equal innumber to the player numbers, there being four result numbers and fourplayer numbers. Each one of the player numbers of the ordered sequenceof player numbers has a position, the first player number of the orderedsequence being Position 1, the second player number of the orderedsequence being Position 2, the third player number of the orderedsequence being Position 3, and the fourth player number of the orderedsequence being Position 4. Each one of the result numbers of the orderedsequence of result numbers has a position, the first result number ofthe ordered sequence being Position 1, the second result number of theordered sequence being Position 2, the third result number of theordered sequence being Position 3, and the fourth result number of theordered sequence being Position 4. Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of theresult numbers correspond to the respective Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 ofthe player numbers. Accordingly, Positions 1, 2, 3, 4 of the resultnumbers correspond positionally, meaning by position, with therespective Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the player numbers. The playernumbers include first player number 2 at Position 1, second playernumber 9 at Position 2, third player number 6 at Position 3, and fourthplayer number 13 at Position 4, and the chance trigger number is 5. Theresult numbers include first result number 9 at Position 1, secondresult number 2 at Position 2, third result number 13 at Position 3, andfourth result number 8 at Position 4, and the result trigger number is5.

In Example B, player number 2 at Position 1 matches result number 2 atPosition 2, player number 9 at Position 4 matches result number 9 atPosition 1, player number 13 at Position 4 matches result number 13 atPosition 3, the remaining player number does not match the remainingresult number, and chance trigger number 5 matches result trigger number5. Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the result trigger number5, a plurality of the player numbers, player numbers 2, 9 and 13, matcha corresponding plurality of result numbers, result numbers 2, 9 and 13,without position matching, in which three of the four player numbersmatch three of the four result numbers, and Positions 1, 2 and 4 ofplayer numbers 2, 9 and 13 do not match Positions 1, 2 and 3 of thematching result numbers 9, 2, and 13, the chance to win in Example B isanother embodiment of a basic winning chance to win, a basic winner,having a value, a basic value, in which the method further includesassigning a prize having the basic value to the chance to win. Sincethree of the four player numbers match three of the four result numbersin Example B, two of the four player numbers match two of the fourresult numbers in Example A, the basic value of the chance to win inExample B is greater than the basic value of the chance to win inExample A.

Example C Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 09 02 13 06 05

In Example C, there is a chance to win including an ordered sequence offour player numbers from the first pool of numbers, and one triggernumber, a chance trigger number, from the second pool of numbers, andthere is a result including an ordered sequence of result numbers fromthe first pool of numbers, and one trigger number, a result triggernumber, from the second pool of numbers. The result numbers are equal innumber to the player numbers, there being four result numbers and fourplayer numbers. Each one of the player numbers of the ordered sequenceof player numbers has a position, the first player number of the orderedsequence being Position 1, the second player number of the orderedsequence being Position 2, the third player number of the orderedsequence being Position 3, and the fourth player number of the orderedsequence being Position 4. Each one of the result numbers of the orderedsequence of result numbers has a position, the first result number ofthe ordered sequence being Position 1, the second result number of theordered sequence being Position 2, the third result number of theordered sequence being Position 3, and the fourth result number of theordered sequence being Position 4. Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of theresult numbers correspond to the respective Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 ofthe player numbers. Accordingly, Positions 1, 2, 3, 4 of the resultnumbers correspond positionally, meaning by position, with therespective Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the player numbers. The playernumbers include first player number 2 at Position 1, second playernumber 9 at Position 2, third player number 6 at Position 3, and fourthplayer number 13 at Position 4, and the chance trigger number is 5. Theresult numbers include first result number 9 at Position 1, secondresult number 2 at Position 2, third result number 13 at Position 3, andfourth result number 6 at Position 4, and the result trigger number is5.

In Example C, player number 2 at Position 1 matches result number 2 atPosition 2, player number 9 at Position 4 matches result number 9 atPosition 1, player number 6 at Position 3 matches result number 6 atPosition 4, player number 13 at Position 4 matches result number 13 atPosition 3, and chance trigger number 5 matches result trigger number 5.Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the result trigger number 5,all of the player numbers, player numbers 2, 9, 6 and 13, match all ofthe result numbers 2, 9, 6 and 13, without position matching, in whichall four player numbers match all four result numbers, and Positions 1,2, 3 and 4 of player numbers 2, 9, 6 and 13 do not match Positions 1, 2,3 and 4 of the matching result numbers 9, 2, 13, and 6, the chance towin in Example C is another embodiment of a basic winning chance to win,a basic winner, having a value, a basic value, in which the methodfurther includes assigning a prize having the basic value to the chanceto win. Since all four of the four player numbers match all four of thefour result numbers in Example C, three of the four player numbers matchthree of the four result numbers in Example B, and two of the fourplayer numbers match two of the four result numbers in Example A, thebasic value of the chance to win in Example C is greater than the basicvalue of the chance to win in Example B, and is still greater than thebasic value of the chance to win in Example A.

Example D Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 02 12 13 08 05

Example D is similar to Example A, with the differences being resultnumber 2 is at Position 1, and result number 12 is at Position 2, and,like Example A, result number 13 is at Position 3, and result number 8is at Position 4. In Example D, player number 2 at Position 1 matchesresult number 2 at Position 1, player number 13 at Position 4 matchesresult number 13 at Position 3, the remaining player numbers match noneof the remaining result numbers, and chance trigger number 5 matchesresult trigger number 5. The matching chance and result numbers 2 areeach at Position 1 in Example D and, therefore, match positionally, orby position. Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the resulttrigger number 5, a plurality of the player numbers, player numbers 2and 13, match a corresponding plurality of result numbers, resultnumbers 2 and 13, and the position of player number 2 at Position 1matches the position of matching result number 2 at Position 1, in whichtwo of the four player numbers match two of the four result numbers anda pair of matching chance and result numbers share a common position,Position 1, and Position 4 of player number 13 does not match Position 3of the matching result number 13, the chance to win in Example D is apremium winning chance to win, a premium winner, having a value, apremium value, in which the method further includes assigning a prizehaving the premium value to the chance to win. According to theinvention, the premium value of the chance to win in Example D isgreater than the basic value of the chance to win in Example A, andlesser than the basic value of the chance to win in Example B. Althoughin Examples A and D the chance and result trigger numbers match and twoof the four player numbers match two of the four result numbers, thepremium value of Example D is greater than the basic value of Example Abecause of the position matching at one position, Position 1 of thechance and result numbers.

Example E Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 02 09 13 08 05

Example E is similar to Example B, with the differences being resultnumber 2 is at Position 1, and result number 9 is at Position 2, and,like Example B, result number 13 is at Position 3, and result number 8is at Position 4. In Example E, player number 2 at Position 1 matchesresult number 2 at Position 1, player number 9 at Position 2 matchesresult number 9 at Position 2, player number 13 at Position 4 matchesresult number 13 at Position 3, and the remaining player number 6 atPosition 3 does not match the remaining result number 8 at Position 4.In Example E, the matching chance and result numbers 2 are each atPosition 1 and, therefore, match positionally, and the matching chanceand result numbers 9 are each at Position 2 and, therefore, matchpositionally. Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the resulttrigger number 5, a plurality of the player numbers, player numbers 2, 9and 13, match a corresponding plurality of result numbers, resultnumbers 2, 9 and 13, the position of player number 2 at Position 1matches the position of matching result number 2 at Position 1, and theposition of player number 9 at Position 2 matches the position ofmatching result number 9 at Position 2, in which three of the fourplayer numbers match three of the four result numbers and two pairs ofmatching chance and result numbers share common positions, respectively,Position 1 and Position 2, and Position 4 of player number 13 does notmatch Position 3 of the matching result number 13, the chance to win inExample E is a premium winning chance to win, a premium winner, having avalue, a premium value, in which the method further includes assigning aprize having the premium value to the chance to win. According to theinvention, the premium value of the chance to win in Example E isgreater than the basic value of the chance to win in Example B, andlesser than the basic value of the chance to win in Example C. Althoughin Examples B and E the chance and result trigger numbers match andthree of the four player numbers match three of the four result numbers,the premium value of Example E is greater than the basic value ofExample B because of the position matching at two positions, Positions 1and 2, of the chance and result numbers.

Example F Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 02 09 08 13 05

Example F is similar to Example E, with the differences being resultnumber 8 is at Position 3, result number 13 is at Position 4 and, likeExample E, result number 2 is at Position 1, and result number 9 is atPosition 2. In Example F, player number 2 at Position 1 matches resultnumber 2 at Position 1, player number 9 at Position 2 matches resultnumber 9 at Position 2, player number 13 at Position 4 matches resultnumber 13 at Position 4, and the remaining player number 6 at Position 3does not match the remaining result number 8 at Position 3. In ExampleE, the matching chance and result numbers 2 are each at Position 1 and,therefore, match positionally, the matching chance and result numbers 9are each at Position 2 and, therefore, match positionally, and thematching chance and result numbers 13 are each at Position 4 and,therefore, match positionally. Since the chance trigger number 5 matchesthe result trigger number 5, a plurality of the player numbers, playernumbers 2, 9 and 13, match a corresponding plurality of result numbers,result numbers 2, 9 and 13, the position of player number 2 at Position1 matches the position of matching result number 2 at Position 1, theposition of player number 9 at Position 2 matches the position ofmatching result number 9 at Position 2, and the position of playernumber 13 at Position 4 matches the position of matching result number13 at Position 4, in which three of the four player numbers match threeof the four result numbers and three pairs of matching chance and resultnumbers share common positions, respectively, Position 1, Position 2,and Position 4, the chance to win in Example F is another example of apremium winning chance to win, a premium winner, having a value, apremium value, in which the method further includes assigning a prizehaving the premium value to the chance to win. According to theinvention, the premium value of the chance to win in Example F isgreater than the basic value of the chance to win in Example B, lesserthan the basic value of the chance to win in Example C, and greater thanthe premium value of the chance to win in Example E. Although inExamples E and F the chance and result trigger numbers match and threeof the four player numbers match three of the four result numbers, thepremium value of Example F is greater than the premium value of ExampleE because of the position matching at three positions, Positions 1, 2,and 4 of the chance and result numbers.

Example G Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Trigger Chance 0209 06 13 05 Result 02 09 06 13 05

Similar to Example C, in Example G, the result trigger numbers are thesame and the chance and result numbers are the same. However, in ExampleG result number 2 is at Position 1, result number 9 is at Position 2,result number 6 is at Position 3, and result number 13 is at Position 4.In Example G, player number 2 at Position 1 matches result number 2 atPosition 1, player number 9 at Position 2 matches result number 9 atPosition 2, player number 6 at Position 3 matches result number 6 atPosition 3, and player number 13 at Position 4 matches result number 13at Position 4. In Example G, the matching chance and result numbers 2are each at Position 1 and, therefore, match positionally, the matchingchance and result numbers 9 are each at Position 2 and, therefore, matchpositionally, the matching chance and result numbers 6 are each atPosition 3 and, therefore, match positionally, and the matching chanceand result numbers 13 are each at Position 4 and, therefore, matchpositionally. Since the chance trigger number 5 matches the resulttrigger number 5, all of the player numbers, player numbers 2, 9, 6 and13, match all of the result numbers, result numbers 2, 9, 6 and 13, theposition of player number 2 at Position 1 matches the position ofmatching result number 2 at Position 1, the position of player number 9at Position 2 matches the position of matching result number 9 atPosition 2, the position of player number 6 at Position 3 matches theposition of matching result number 6 at Position 3, and the position ofplayer number 13 at Position 4 matches the position of matching resultnumber 13 at Position 4, in which all four player numbers match all fourresult numbers and all of the four pairs of matching chance and resultnumbers share common positions, respectively, Position 1, Position 2,Position 3, and Position 4, the chance to win in Example G is stillanother example of a premium winning chance to win having a value, apremium value, in which the method further includes assigning a prizehaving the premium value to the chance to win. According to theinvention, the premium value of the chance to win in Example G isgreater than the basic value of the chance to win in Example C andgreater than the premium value of the chance to win in Example F.Although in Example C the chance and result trigger numbers match andall of the player numbers match all of the result numbers, the premiumvalue of Example G is greater than the basic value of Example C andgreater than the premium value of Example F because all four playernumbers match all for result numbers and because of the positionmatching at all four positions, Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the chanceand result numbers.

According to the invention, the “double-matrix” lottery game provides aplayer with many ways of winning and with prizes of varying values, fromthe “basic” winning paradigm to the “premium” winning paradigm asdiscussed herein. In basic winning tickets in the “double-matrix”lottery game according to this disclosure, the basic value increases asthe number of matching chance and result numbers increases. In premiumwinning tickets in the “double-matrix” lottery game according to thisdisclosure, the premium value increases as the number positionallymatching pairs of matching chance and result numbers increases.

As explained above, each chance to win discussed in Examples A-G ispreferably presented on a lottery ticket, and an example of such lotterytickets are illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. FIG. 1 illustrates lottery ticket40 corresponding to the chance to win in Example A, FIG. 2 illustrateslottery ticket 50 corresponding to the chance to win in Example B, FIG.3 illustrates lottery ticket 60 corresponding to the chance to win inExample C, FIG. 4 illustrates lottery ticket 70 corresponding to thechance to win in Example D, FIG. 5 illustrates lottery ticket 80corresponding to the chance to win in Example E, FIG. 6 illustrateslottery ticket 90 corresponding to the chance to win in Example F, andFIG. 7 illustrates lottery ticket 100 corresponding to the chance to winin Example G. Consistent with the chance to win of Example A, lotteryticket 40 in FIG. 1 is imprinted the sequence of with player numbers 12,2, 13 and 8 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively, and chancetrigger number 5. Consistent with the chance to win of Example B,lottery ticket 50 in FIG. 2 is imprinted the sequence of with playernumbers 9, 2, 13, and 8 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively,and chance trigger number 5. Consistent with the chance to win ofExample C, lottery ticket 60 in FIG. 3 is imprinted the sequence of withplayer numbers 9, 2, 13 and 6 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4,respectively, and chance trigger number 5. Consistent with the chance towin of Example D, lottery ticket 70 in FIG. 4 is imprinted the sequenceof with player numbers 2, 12, 13 and 8 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4,respectively, and chance trigger number 5. Consistent with the chance towin of Example E, lottery ticket 80 in FIG. 5 is imprinted the sequenceof with player numbers 2, 9, 13 and 8 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4,respectively, and chance trigger number 5. Consistent with the chance towin of Example F, lottery ticket 90 in FIG. 6 is imprinted the sequenceof with player numbers 2, 9, 8 and 13 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4,respectively, and chance trigger number 5. Consistent with the chance towin of Example G, lottery ticket 100 in FIG. 7 is imprinted the sequenceof with player numbers 2, 9, 6 and 13 at Positions P1, P2, P3, and P4,respectively, and chance trigger number 5. The imprinting of the chancesto win on the lottery tickets of FIGS. 1-7 enables user to easilycompare the chances to win to the result of the eventual drawing.

In each of lottery tickets 40-100, when a player selects player numbersand a chance trigger number, they are entered into the lottery ticketdispensing system from an input, such as a register, terminal,workstation, or the like. When a player elects to have the chance to winchosen or selected for him, a corresponding entry is made from the giveninput, commanding the lottery ticket dispensing system to randomlychoose or select the chance to win. Once the chance to win is chosen orselected at the given input, whether randomly chosen or deliberatelychosen by the player, the lottery ticket dispensing system is responsiveand issues the lottery ticket to the player through a standard output, aprinter, imprinted with and bearing the chance to win. Lottery tickets40-100 are each a printed document and is a legal document, as is thecase with conventional lottery tickets. With the lottery ticketimprinted with the chance to win as shown and described in conjunctionwith each of lottery tickets 40-100, the lottery ticket is presented andmade available to the player of the lottery game at the given input foruse to that player in the form of a display/printed document, which theplayer may use to determine whether the player characters imprinted onthe lottery ticket represent a win based on the discussion above inExamples A-G based on a comparison of the player characters, the playernumbers and the trigger player number, of the given lottery ticket to aresult, the result characters, the result numbers and the trigger resultnumber, obtained from a drawing. Preferably, the given input is formedwith or otherwise associated with a chosen output, a printer or otheroutput that prints and presents lottery tickets to players. Aspreviously described, the use of a lottery game computer system and aninput is exemplary of an on-line lottery ticket sale or issuance, inwhich the “double-matrix” lottery tickets according to this disclosureare printed by terminal/printer of the input, such as at a merchant'sstore. In an online sale where the player chooses numbers, the input isconnected to the lottery game computer system, which recognizes andaccepts chosen players' choices of numbers or chooses/selects numbersfor players in automatic or random selections for players, and sendssignals to the given output to print the lottery ticket with the playercharacters as explained above.

In sum, exemplary methods of conducting and playing a “double-matrix”lottery game are disclosed, which include providing a chance to winincluding consecutively drawn player characters selected from a firstpool of characters, and a trigger player character selected from asecond pool of characters, providing a result including consecutivelydrawn result characters selected from the first pool of characters, anda trigger result character selected from the second pool of characters,and comparing the result to the chance to win. When all or a pluralityof the plurality of player characters matches all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, respectively, and the trigger chancecharacter matches the trigger result character, in one embodiment themethod includes assigning a basic win having a basic value to the chanceto win when the position of none of the plurality player charactersmatches the position of none of the result characters, assigning apremium win having a premium value to the chance to when the position ofone of the plurality of the player characters matches the position ofone of the plurality of the result characters, wherein the premium valueis greater than the basic value, assigning a basic prize having thebasic value to the chance to win, when the basic win is assigned to thechance to win, and assigning a premium prize having the premium value tothe chance to win, when the premium win is assigned to the chance towin. When all or a plurality of the plurality of player charactersmatches all or a plurality of the plurality of result characters,respectively, and the trigger chance character matches the triggerresult character, in another embodiment the method includes assigning abasic win having a basic value to the chance to win when the position ofnone of the plurality player characters matches the position of none ofthe result characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value tothe chance to when the positions of all or a plurality of the pluralityof player characters matches the positions of all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, wherein the premium value is greaterthan the basic value, assigning a basic prize having the basic value tothe chance to win, when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win,and assigning a premium prize having the premium value to the chance towin, when the premium win is assigned to the chance to win. In anexemplary embodiment, the consecutively drawn player characters includeat least four consecutively drawn player characters, the consecutivelydrawn result characters include at least four consecutively drawn resultnumbers, the first pool of characters is greater than the second pool ofcharacters, and the chance to win is issued to a player with a lotteryticket dispensing system. In the “double-matrix” lottery game disclosedherein, the value of the wins can vary depending on bet amounts. Payamounts may be determined based on a percentage of play or bypari-mutual calculations. The prizes are preferably monetary prizes, butthey can be consumer goods, tickets to entertainment events, etc.Duplication of characters in each chance to win, and in the result, canbe prohibited, if desired. In another embodiment, duplication ofcharacters in each chance to win, and in the result, can be permitted,if desired. The various embodiments of the invention can be carried outwith a single player and a corresponding single chance to win, or aplurality of players and a corresponding plurality of chances to win, inwhich the method for a single chance to win applies to each of thechances to win. In other words, after there is a number of chances towin provided and the result is provided, each of the chances to win iscompared to the result (it is envisioned that each player will comparehis chance to win with the result) for the purpose of determine whetherthe given chance to win is a winner, a basic or premium winner.

The present invention is described above with reference to illustrativeembodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges and modifications may be made in the described embodimentswithout departing from the nature and scope of the present invention.Various further changes and modifications to the embodiments hereinchosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilledin the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do notdepart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to beincluded within the scope thereof.

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms asto enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same,the invention claimed is:
 1. A method of conducting and playing alottery game, the method comprising the steps of: providing a chance towin including consecutively drawn player characters selected from afirst pool of characters, and a trigger player character selected from asecond pool of characters; providing a result including consecutivelydrawn result characters selected from the first pool of characters, anda trigger result character selected from the second pool of characters;comparing the result to the chance to win; and when all or a pluralityof the plurality of player characters matches all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, respectively, and the trigger chancecharacter matches the trigger result character, assigning a basic winhaving a basic value to the chance to win when the position of none ofthe plurality player characters matches the position of none of theresult characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value to thechance to when the position of one of the plurality of the playercharacters matches the position of one of the plurality of the resultcharacters, wherein the premium value is greater than the basic value,assigning a basic prize having the basic value to the chance to win,when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win, and assigning apremium prize having the premium value to the chance to win, when thepremium win is assigned to the chance to win.
 2. The method ofconducting and playing a lottery game according to claim 1, wherein theconsecutively drawn player characters comprise at least fourconsecutively drawn player characters, and the consecutively drawnresult characters comprise at least four consecutively drawn resultnumbers.
 3. The method of conducting and playing a lottery gameaccording to claim 1, wherein the first pool of characters is greaterthan the second pool of characters.
 4. The method of conducting andplaying a lottery game according to claim 1, wherein the chance to winis issued to a player with a lottery ticket dispensing system.
 5. Amethod of conducting and playing a lottery game, the method comprisingthe steps of: providing a chance to win including consecutively drawnplayer characters selected from a first pool of characters, and atrigger player character selected from a second pool of characters;providing a result including consecutively drawn result charactersselected from the first pool of characters, and a trigger resultcharacter selected from the second pool of characters; comparing theresult to the chance to win; and when all or a plurality of theplurality of player characters matches all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, respectively, and the trigger chancecharacter matches the trigger result character, assigning a basic winhaving a basic value to the chance to win when the position of none ofthe plurality player characters matches the position of none of theresult characters, assigning a premium win having a premium value to thechance to when the positions of all or a plurality of the plurality ofplayer characters matches the positions of all or a plurality of theplurality of result characters, wherein the premium value is greaterthan the basic value, assigning a basic prize having the basic value tothe chance to win, when the basic win is assigned to the chance to win,and assigning a premium prize having the premium value to the chance towin, when the premium win is assigned to the chance to win.
 6. Themethod of conducting and playing a lottery game according to claim 5,wherein the consecutively drawn player characters comprise at least fourconsecutively drawn player characters, and the consecutively drawnresult characters comprise at least four consecutively drawn resultnumbers.
 7. The method of conducting and playing a lottery gameaccording to claim 5, wherein the first pool of characters is greaterthan the second pool of characters.
 8. The method of conducting andplaying a lottery game according to claim 5, wherein the chance to winis issued to a player with a lottery ticket dispensing system.